System and method for the reconditioning of barrels including a robotic arm with a removable laser module

ABSTRACT

A system for reconditioning barrels comprising: a robot arm; a router assembly for routing the inside surface of a barrel; and a laser assembly for measuring the inside profile of a barrel, wherein: the router assembly is fixedly attached to the robot arm; and the laser assembly is removably attached to the router assembly thus allowing the laser assembly to be removed while the barrel is being routed in order to protect the laser from airborne particles and vibrations from the router.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a system and method for the reconditioning ofbarrels, in particular a system including a robotic arm with a removablelaser module.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Details of robotic systems for the reconditioning of barrels have beenpreviously disclosed by the present applicant in for exampleInternational Applications PCT/AU2008/001684 and PCT/AU2011/000418.Whilst presenting an improvement over the prior art, furtherimprovements to these systems are possible.

The prior art systems incorporate a laser scanner for mapping theinternal profile of a barrel and a router for removing a surface layerof the barrel; with the trajectory of the router being calculated fromthe measured profile of the barrel. Precise measurement and routing isrequired in order to optimally recondition a barrel, with the alignmentof the laser and the router being critical.

In a first prior art system the laser scanner and the router are bothfixedly attached to the end of a robotic arm. Whilst this system ensuresthat the laser and the router are well aligned, having the laserco-located with the router whilst routing introduces problems. The firstproblem being vibrations from the router damaging mechanical andelectronic components of the laser scanner, in particularelectromechanical components such as crystal oscillators. The secondproblem being debris from the router obscuring the optical paths of thelaser scanner.

In a second prior art system the laser scanner and the router areattached to separate robotic arms. This arrangement ensures thatvibrations and debris from the router do not affect the laser scanner,however it introduces the problem of accurately aligning the laserscanner and the router. The accuracy of the system is furthercompromised in that it is first required to locate the barrel withrespect to the laser scanner and then with respect to the router. Such asystem also carries the cost and complexity of having two robotic arms.

The object of this invention is to provide a system for thereconditioning of barrels that alleviates the above problems, or atleast provides the public with a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore in one form of the invention there is proposed a system forreconditioning barrels comprising: a robot arm; a router assembly forrouting the inside surface of a barrel; and a laser assembly formeasuring the inside profile of a barrel, wherein: the router assemblyis fixedly attached to the robot arm; and the laser assembly isremovably attached to the router assembly.

Preferably the system further comprises a stand for accepting the laserassembly when detached from the router assembly

Preferably the stand incorporates a moveable cover for coveringelectrical contacts of the laser assembly.

In preference the system further comprises a compressed air linedirected to blow air over the external optical components of the laserassembly when the laser assembly is within said stand.

Preferably the system further comprises a floor on which a barrel isstood and a clamping mechanism for securing said barrel in a fixedposition; said floor comprising trap doors moveable from a firstposition wherein the barrel is supported by the trap doors to a secondposition wherein the barrel is not supported by the trap doors.

In a further form of the invention there is a method for reconditioningof barrels, comprising the steps of: removably attaching a laser scannerto a robotic arm with a router attached; scanning the inside profile ofa barrel with the laser scanner; detaching the laser assembly from therobotic arm; and routing the inside of the barrel with the routeraccording to a path determined from the scanned inside profile of thebarrel.

Preferably the method further comprises the step of cleaning said laserscanner with compressed air before scanning the inside profile of thebarrel.

Preferably the method further comprises the steps of: coveringelectrical contacts of the laser scanner when the laser scanner isdetached from the robotic arm; and uncovering said electrical contactsbefore attaching the laser scanner to the robotic arm.

It should be noted that any one of the aspects mentioned above mayinclude any of the features of any of the other aspects mentioned aboveand may include any of the features of any of the embodiments describedbelow as appropriate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate various implementations of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theadvantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a barrel reconditioning system of apreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 1B and 1C are partial views of the system showing details of trapdoors beneath a barrel to be reconditioned in a first and secondposition;

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a router assembly with a laser assemblyattached;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the laser assembly;

FIG. 4 is a view of a stand for accepting the laser assembly;

FIG. 5 is a view of the laser assembly located within the stand of FIG.4;

FIG. 6 is a view of the stand of FIG. 5 with a protective tool cover inplace; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a further feature of the invention.

LIST OF COMPONENTS

-   -   10 Barrel reconditioning system    -   11 Robot arm    -   12 Control system    -   13 Router assembly    -   14 Laser assembly    -   15 Robot rotating mandrel    -   16 Stand    -   18 Barrel    -   20 Laser displacement sensor    -   21 Laser window    -   22 Sensor window    -   23 Laser bracket    -   24 Tool interface    -   25 Tool electrical module    -   26 Alignment studs    -   27 Laser cable    -   28 Alignment pins    -   30 Master interface    -   31 Master electrical module    -   34 Base angle plate    -   36 Mandrel    -   37 Steady    -   38 Electrical slip ring    -   40 Pneumatic slip ring    -   42 Router drive plate    -   44 Router motor    -   45 Router bit    -   50 Stand leg    -   51 Stand foot    -   52 Stand platform    -   53 Tool rack    -   54 Alignment grooves    -   55 Tool cover    -   56 Swivel actuator    -   70 Floor    -   71 Robot stand    -   72 Trap doors    -   73 Conveyor belt    -   74 Clamping posts    -   75 Clamping mechanism

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following detailed description of the invention refers to theaccompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numberswill be used throughout the drawings and the following description torefer to the same and like parts. Dimensions of certain parts shown inthe drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposesof clarity or illustration.

The present invention relates to a system 10 and method forreconditioning a barrel 18. As seen in FIG. 1A the main features of thebarrel reconditioning system 10 are: a multi-axis robot arm 11 under thecontrol of a control system 12; a router assembly 13 fixedly attached tothe end of the robot arm 11; a laser assembly 14 removably attached tothe router assembly 13 and a stand 16 for accepting the laser assembly14.

The system 10 is mounted in an enclosure of which only the floor 70 isshown in the figures for the sake of clarity. The enclosure is sealed toallow the extraction of wood dust and shavings produced duringreconditioning. The floor incorporates a stand 71 for elevating therobot arm 11 to an appropriate working height. The system alsoincorporates clamping posts 74 and clamping mechanism 75 for securelylocating a barrel whilst being reconditioned. The floor 70 incorporatestwo trap doors 72 on which the barrel is initially mounted. Once thebarrel is secured by the clamping mechanism 75, the trap doors 72 swingaway from the bottom of the barrel allowing any wood dust and shavingsproduced during reconditioning to fall through the bottom of the barreland onto a conveyor belt 73 for removal. By having a void beneath thebarrel clearance is also provided for the laser assembly 14, allowing ascan to be performed all the way to the bottom of the barrel without theextremities of the laser assembly coming in contact with the floor.Details of the operation of the trap doors 72 are shown in FIGS. 1B and1C in which the floor has been cut away. The trap doors 72 are hingedlyattached to the floor along one side and are positioned by means ofpneumatic actuators (not shown).

The reconditioning process comprises two main steps, scanning androuting, both performed with the aid of the robot arm 11 under controlof the control system 12.

During the scanning process, the laser assembly 14 is attached to therouter assembly 13 and traverses the inside of the barrel 18 in order toaccurately measure the inside profile of the barrel. The profileinformation is stored by the control system 12. Prior to the scanningprocess the laser assembly is cleaned with the aid of compressed air toremove any dust or particles that may interfere with the scan.

After the barrel has been scanned the laser assembly 14 is detached fromthe router assembly 13 and stored on the stand 16. This ensures that thelaser assembly 14 is removed from the dust and shavings produced duringthe routing process and is not subject to vibrations produced by therouter.

During the routing process, the router assembly 13 traverses a pathcalculated by the control system 12 using the barrel profile informationpreviously stored to enable the router to remove a predetermined depth(typically 6-8 mm) of material from the inside surface of the barrel. Apositive air flow is maintained in the enclosure to ensure that airbornedust and shavings do not settle on the laser assembly 14.

The router assembly 13 with the laser assembly 14 attached are shown ingreater detail in FIG. 2.

The two assemblies are held together by a pneumatically operated robotictool changer as is well known in the art. The tool changer comprises amaster interface 30 on the router assembly side and a tool interface 24on the laser assembly side. Pneumatic ports on the master interface 30are used to engage and disengage a locking mechanism that holds the twointerfaces together. The interfaces 30 and 24 have attached electricalmodules 31 and 25 that allow electrical connectivity to the laserassembly when attached to the router assembly.

A mandrel 36 of the router assembly 13 is attached to a rotating mandrel15 (seen in FIG. 1) at the end of the robot arm 11; allowing the routerassembly to rotate through 360 degrees with respect to the robot arm.The router assembly incorporates a steady 37 that is attached to anon-rotating portion of the robot arm in order to allow connections toelectrical and pneumatic lines via electrical slip ring assembly 38 andpneumatic slip ring 40 with the fixed portions of the slip ringassemblies being rigidly attached to the steady. The mandrel 36 includesa shaft (obscured) that passes through the slip rings 38 and 40 andengages the router drive plate 42, thus allowing the attached base angleplate 34 to rotate with respect to the robot arm 11. Attached to thebase angle plate 34 are the router motor 44 with router bit 45 and themaster interface 30 to which the laser assembly 14 is removablyattached.

FIG. 3 shows the laser assembly 14 detached from the router assembly 13.The laser assembly 14 comprises: tool interface 24 for attachment to therouter assembly; laser bracket 23 and laser displacement sensor 20. Thetool interface 24 has alignment studs 26 to ensure accurate alignmentwith the router assembly 13 and alignment pins 28 allowing the laserassembly to be held on a stand 16 as discussed below.

The laser displacement sensor 20 is an off the shelf component formeasuring distance and includes a laser window 21 through which a laseris shone and a sensor window 22 through which laser light that isreflected from an object is sensed. One can readily appreciate the needto keep the windows 21 and 22 clean in order for the sensor to performmeasurements.

Electrical connectivity from the sensor 20 via the router assembly 13using electrical slip rings 38 and ultimately to the control system 12is provided by cable 27 (seen in FIG. 5) and tool electrical module 25.

FIG. 4 shows a stand 16 used to hold the laser assembly 14 when notattached to the router assembly. The stand 16 comprises a platform 52 towhich a tool rack 53 is attached. The tool rack 53 accepts the laserassembly 14 with the alignment pins 28 of the laser assembly restingwithin alignment grooves 54. A tool cover 55 is provided to shield thetool interface 24 and associated electrical module 25 from airborneparticles produced when the barrel is being routed. The cover 55 ispositioned by means of attached pneumatically operated swivel actuator56 which in turn is attached to the platform 52. The platform 52 is heldclear of the floor by leg 50 which is secured to the floor by foot 51.

FIG. 5 shows the laser assembly 14 placed in the stand 16, and FIG. 6shows the cover 55 positioned such as to protect the tool interface 24and electrical module 25.

A further feature of the system is an air line (schematically shown inFigure located adjacent to the stand 16 used to blast clean the windows21 and 22 of the laser displacement sensor 20 and thus remove any dustthat may interfere with measurements.

Further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the presentinvention without deviating from its scope. Although the invention hasbeen shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practicaland preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be madetherefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention, which is not tobe limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded thefull scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devicesand apparatus.

Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should inno way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely knownor forms part of the common general knowledge in this field.

In the summary of the invention and the claims, except where the contextrequires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, theword “comprising” is used in the sense of “including”, i.e. the featuresspecified may be associated with further features in various embodimentsof the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for reconditioning barrelscomprising: a robot arm; a router assembly for routing the insidesurface of one of the barrels; a laser assembly for measuring the insideprofile of the one barrel, a floor on which the one barrel is stood; anda clamping mechanism for securing the one barrel, and trap doors beneaththe clamping mechanism and swingably attached to the floor for movementfrom a first position wherein the one barrel is supported by the trapdoors to a second position wherein the barrel is not supported by thetrap doors, wherein: the router assembly is fixedly attached to therobot arm; and the laser assembly is removably attached to the routerassembly.
 2. A system as in claim 1 further comprising a stand foraccepting the laser assembly when the laser assembly is detached fromthe router assembly.
 3. A system as in claim 2 wherein said standincorporates a moveable cover for covering electrical contacts of saidlaser assembly.
 4. A system as in claim 2 further comprising acompressed air line, said air line directed to blow air over externaloptical components of said laser assembly when said laser assembly iswithin said stand.